Impunity Watch: Middle East

Olmert: Return Occupied Territories for Peace

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

WEST JERUSALEM, Israel – On September 29, Yedioth Aharonoth, Israel’s largest newspaper, published a farewell interview with the now interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.  In the interview, Olmert stated that “We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories.”  In addition, in order to reach a peace agreement with Syria, Israel will have to withdraw from the Golan Heights.

The most controversial element of Olmert’s statement is that a final peace agreement will require Israeli withdrawal from East Jerusalem.  Official Israeli policy regarding East Jerusalem is that it is a part of Israel and that Jerusalem is the “eternal and unified capital” of Israel.  Olmert argues that maintaining sovereignty over an undivided Jerusalem would involve bringing 270,000 Palestinians inside Israel’s security barrier. 

“A decision has to be made,” said Olmert. “This decision is difficult, terrible, a decision that contradicts our natural instincts, our innermost desires, our collective memories, the prayers of the Jewish people for 2,000 years.”

Olmert’s comments in his farewell interview surprised many as he has long opposed any territorial concessions to the Palestinians.  According to Olmert, he was “not prepared to look at reality in all of its depth.”  While this is the first time Olmert has stated these thoughts publicly, “his Palestinian negotiations partners have heard this before, as have the Americans and the Europeans,” said Mark Regev, Olmert’s spokesman. 

Response from both the right and left wings of Israeli politics was swift.  Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the rightwing Yisrael Beiteinu party, denounced the prime minister’s comments as “insanity.”  Lieberman continued by stating that Olmert was “endangering the existence of the State of Israel irresponsibly.”

Leftwing politicians criticized Mr Olmert for speaking his mind at a time when he had lost the power and credibility to make the territorial concessions he talked about.  Aluf Benn, of Ha’aretz, characterized the comments as “too little, too late.”

Despite recently resigning as Prime Minister, Olmert remains the interim Prime Minister and, in theory, will continue peace negotiations while awaiting the new government.  However, since Olmert is a lame-duck Prime Minister, some analysts believe that a final peace agreement will not occur in his remaining months.  Rather, his comments are to prepare the Israeli public for a possible peace agreement under his successor.

For more information, please see:

Financial Times – Olmert Calls for Return of “Almost All” Territory – 29 September 2008

Guardian – Ian Black: Ehud Olmert’s Valedictory Jewish New Year Message is Worth Listening To – 29 September 2008

Ha’aretz – ANALYSIS: Olmert’s Epiphany is Too Little, Too Late – 29 September 2008

Jerusalem Post – Olmert: We Must Leave Most of W. Bank – 29 September 2008

New York Times – Olmert Says Israel Should Pull Out of West Bank – 29 September 2008

Voice of America – Olmert Says Israel Must Withdraw From “Almost All” of Occupied Territories – 29 September 2008

Egypt Convicts Journalist Critical of the Mubarak Government

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt - On September 28, Ibrahim Issa, editor of Al Dustour, an independent newspaper published in Egypt, was sentenced to two months in prison for publishing rumors that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was near death.  The verdict followed a lower court ruling in March that had sentenced Issa to six months in prison.

In August 2007, Issa published a series of articles in Al Dustour alleging that Mubarak's health was rapidly deteriorating, and claimed that the President had lapsed into a coma.  Issa was arrested and charged with "publishing false information and rumors ... and damaging public interest and national stability."  According to prosecutors, as a result of Issa's allegations, foreign investors withdrew more than $350 million dollars from the Egyptian stock exchange.

According to Issa, "The verdict opens the door of hell...it deals a blow to all illusions of a free press and confirms the state's hostile position towards freedom of opinion and expression."

The Egyptian government has a history of cracking down on journalists for publishing on a range of issues including the President's health, inflation, poverty and government corruption.  Often, journalists or bloggers who publish on such issues are arrested, detained and imprisoned.

According to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, four years ago, Mubarak promised that he would end imprisonment for crimes related to free press.  Yet in the last year, at least seven Egyptian journalists were sentenced to up to two years in prison on charges ranging from misquoting the Minister of Justice to spreading false rumors about Mubarak.

In protest over Issa's conviction, more than 23 Egyptian newspapers suspended publication for one day. The Journalists Syndicate filed a petition requesting the prison sentence be delayed pending an appeal to Egypt's highest appeals court.  Reporters Without Borders denounced Issa's trial, and Amnesty International stated that the trial and conviction are part of a pattern by the Egyptian government to "chill" freedom of the press.  According to the Egyptian Hisham Mubarak Legal Centre, Issa's conviction for publishing allegations of the President's failing health is in violation of international treaties that protect freedom of the press, of which Egypt is a party.

For more information, please see:

Al Arabiya - Egypt Editor Jailed Over Mubarak Health Rumours - 28 September 2008

Al Jazeera - Egypt Editor Jailed Amid Press Row - 28 September 2008

BBC - Egypt Editor's Jail Term Cut - 28 September 2008

Los Angeles Times - EGYPT: Editor Sentenced to Jail - 28 September 2008

Bus Attack Kills Soldiers in Lebanon

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East


Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

TRIPOLI, Lebanon – On September 29, a bomb exploded in Tripoli, killing several Lebanese soldiers and civilians.  Explosives, mixed with nuts and bolts, detonated as a bus carrying Lebanese Army soldiers passed, killing five and wounded at least 17 others.  The dead included four soldiers. 

Officials state that the bomb was stored in a stationary car and that it was detonated as the bus passed.  The detonation occurred at 8:00am, local time.  The bus was carrying soldiers, as well as civilians, to work.  The police immediately cordoned off the area and forensic experts began collecting evidence.

This is the second attack in the past two months that has targeted the Lebanese military.  On August 13, a suitcase bomb exploded as a bus carrying Lebanese Army soldiers passed, killing at least 15, including 9 soldiers.  In the earlier attack, explosives were also mixed with nuts and bolts.  It was the deadliest in Lebanon in more than three years.

The September 29 attack occurred two days after an alleged suicide attack targeted Syrian security forces in Damascus.  According to Syrian authorities, the car, packed with explosives, crossed into Syria from a “neighboring Arab country.”  Some have placed blame on Sunni militant groups in the region and claim that sectarian tensions in neighboring countries, such as Iraq and Lebanon, are spilling over into Syria.

Tripoli has been the site of a number of sectarian battles, with dozens of people killed or wounded in recent fighting between pro-government Sunni fighters and pro-Syrian Shias.  Despite the recent reconciliation agreement, sectarian tensions are still high. 

For example, last month Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President, stated that Sunni extremists were destabilizing north Lebanon.  Then, two weeks ago, Assad deployed thousands of Syrian troops along the north Lebanon border.  The official reason cited by the Lebanese Army is to fight smuggling.  However the deployment triggered fears in Beirut of a possible incursion.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Blast Hits Lebanese City of Tripoli – 29 September 2008

BBC – Analysis: Lebanon-Syria Attacks Linked? – 29 September 2008

New York Times – 4 Soldiers Killed in Lebanon Bombing – 29 September 2008

Reuters – Car Bomb Hits Bus Carrying Troops in Lebanon, 5 Dead – 29 September 2008 

The Times – Six Dead and Seventeen Injured in Tripoli Car Bombing – 29 September 2008

Deadly Car Bomb in Syria

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – On September 27, a car bomb explosion killed at least 17 people and wounded 14 others. The victims included women and children. The attack is one of the deadliest in Syria in more than a decade.

The intersection where the explosion occurred leads to an important Shiite shrine in the Syrian capital. The al-Sayyida Zeinab shrine is one of Syria's holiest sites. The shrine is a popular pilgrimage location and attracts tens of thousands of Shiites from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon each year.

Muhammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyid, Syria's Minister of Religious Endowments, is shocked that such an attack occurred so close to Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan. General Bassam Abdul-Majid, the Syrian Interior Minister, believes the bomb was a terrorist act. A counter-terrorist unit is currently working to find the perpetrators.

According to the Middle East Times, the bombing may be the work of extremist groups or part of a “struggle between security forces.” Although, there are many speculations about who is responsible for the bombing, authorities are heavily investigating Islamist militants. Islamist groups were responsible for similar attacks during the 1980s when authorities fought an uprising by Muslim militants.

Fawaz Najia, an Arab political analyst, links the attack to growing Sunni-Shiite tension in the region. Najia also believes the Sunnis fear Iran's Shiite infiltration of predominantly Sunni Arab countries. Sunni militants have clashed with pro-Syrian gunmen in the Lebanese city of Tripoli for the past several months. According to Najia, a Syrian study centre reported that Iran was pouring millions of dollars into Syria to convert Sunnis to Shiism.

Syria is currently at a political crossroad. In the last few years, there have been numerous clashes with security forces killing Islamist militants and arresting hundreds more. In addition, there has been recent unrest with Islamist prisoners in Syrian jails.

Despite efforts to talk, tension remains between Syrians and Israelis. The clash involves Syria’s support for groups like the Palestinian Islamist movements, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah.

The UN Security Council has stressed the need to bring the “perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice” and has urged all states to actively assist the Syrian authorities.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera - UN Condemns Deadly Syria Attack – 28 September 2008

Jerusalem Post - Syria Says 'Terrorists' Coming From Outside Border – 28 September 2008

Middle East Times - Syria Hunts for Damascus Bombers – 28 September 2008

BBC - At Least 17 People Have Been Killed By a Car Bomb on the Outskirts of Syria's Capital Damascus, Officials Have Said – 27 September 2008

CNN - Syria: Car Bomb Kills 17 in Damascus – 27 September 2008

New UAE Visa Law Leaves Many Overseas Filipino Workers Stranded

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

AL AIN, United Arab Emirates - New visa laws passed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have caused many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be stranded outside the UAE.  There are reports that as many as 6,200 OFWs are waiting in Iran and Oman for new visas so that they may reenter the UAE;  some have been waiting as long as a month.

Many OFWs come to the UAE looking for work in the UAE, Oman, and Iran on a visit visa.  However, in March the government of the UAE passed new visa laws that limit the ability to renew visit visas.  Visitors seeking to come to the UAE may apply for a visit visa which is valid for up to 60 days, with a 30 day extension available.  Under the new law, after the visit visa expires, OFWs must apply for a tourist visa.  However, the visa applications can take as long as 60 days to process, leaving many OFWs without valid visas. Before the new law, visa renewals often took no more than 2 or 3 days.  Although the new law applies to anyone wishing to get a visa, many of those affected were Filipino workers.

Without a valid visa, many OFWs have been left stranded in Oman and Iran.  There are reports that as many as 5,000 people are currently stranded on Kish Island in Iran.  Kish has less stringent immigration laws allowing visitors to stay as long as 14 days without a visa, with an extension available for a fee.

Many are living in hotels, others on the streets.  Since laws on Kish forbid immigrants to stay in private homes without a visa, there are limited options.  Photos sent to the Philippines show as many as 12 people living in a single room.  Filipino government officials have said that many are not staying in hotels since many hotels require guests to leave their passports at the desk to ensure payment.

The Filipino government has asked for leniency from the government of the UAE for Filipino immigrants who are stranded, saying that the situation of the OFWs has amounted to a humanitarian crisis.  Many of those who could afford it have returned to the Philippines, but others, especially those employed in the UAE, wish the stay in the Middle East.   However, it is thought that the UAE will not allow for exceptions since the new law was announced over three months before it's implementation.  Reports say that travel agents may be to blame for misinforming the OFWs as to the effects of the new laws. 

For more information, please see:

Khaleej Times - Over 5,000 Await Visas on Kish - 28 September 2008

Inquirer - Travel Agencies Blamed for Stranded OFWs Outside UAE - 27 September 2008

Overseas Filipino News - Government Asks UAE's 'Leniency' on Stranded Filipinos - 27 September 2008

ABS-CBN News - 6,000 Pinoys Stranded in Mideast Due to UAE Visa Snags - 26 September 2008

ABS-CBN News - Stranded Pinoys in UAE a Humanitarian Crisis - 26 September 2008

Khaleej Times - Coordinated Effort to Bail Out Filipinos Stranded at Al Buraimi - 24 September 2008

Khaleej Times - 45 Stranded at Al Buraimi Border - 22 September 2008

BRIEF: Turkish Warplanes Target Rebel Stronghold in Iraq

ANKARA, Turkey- On September 25, at least 10 Turkish warplanes launched an air strike against 16 suspected PKK targets in northern Iraq.  According to the PKK, the strike killed one of its members and wounded two civilians.  The Turkish military has not given any casualty figures for the latest raid.

Yesterday's bombing campaign targeted the villages of Kutak, Surage and Kozala in the Qandil Mountains in Iraq.  Several homes were destroyed, displacing at least five families.  In addition, PKK claims that a school was also damaged.

According to Brig. Gen. Metin Gurak, spokesman for the Turkish military, the raid was in retaliation to the numerous attacks launched by the PKK against Turkish soldiers during the past month, which had claimed the lives of 17 Turkish soldiers.

In October 2007, the Turkish parliament authorized the military to step up activities against PKK strongholds in northern Iraq.  Over the past year the Turkish military has carried out numerous aerial raids and a week long ground incursion against PKK rebels in Iraq.  Last week the Turkish government stated it will request parliament extend the mandate by one year.  The current mandate is set to expire October 17.  According to the military, the PKK rebels regularly carry out cross-border attacks from their bases in northern Iraq against Turkish targets.

For more information, please see:

AFP - Turkish Jets Hit 16 Rebel Targets in Northern Iraq- 26 September 2008

Al Jazeera -Turkey Bombs PKK Bases in Iraq - 26 September 2008

Associated Press - Turkish Warplanes Hit 16 Rebel Targets in Iraq- 26 September 2008

BBC - Turkey Planes Hit PKK Rebels - 26 September 2008

Jerusalem Post - Turkish Warplanes Hit Kurdish Targets in Iraq - 26 September 2008

Concerns About Lebanon After the Lebanese Transparency Association Releases Results from its Corruption Preceptions Index

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon - In a news conference on September 23, the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) release the official results of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2008. The conference was held at the Press Federation in Beirut.

The LTA has announced the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index for Lebanon since 2003. Each year their report includes results from other national chapters of Transparency International around the world. This year the LTA reported on 180 states, 20 of which are Arab countries.

The CPI does not measure corruption in and of itself. It records the perception of corruption estimated by public officials and politicians for each country. Transparency International defines corruption as "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain." As a result, the index is an indication of what how respondents feel about political and administrative corruption in their countries.

The index primarily focuses on corruption in the public sector, such as an abuse of official power for private interests. The CPI is a culmination of 14 different polls and surveys from 14 independent institutions. The data is handled by businesspeople, academics, analysts, and experts. Each country is assigned a score between 1-10, 1 being most corrupt and 10 being least corrupt. Using their score, the index ranks the countries.

Fadi Saab, the LTA board secretary, has emphasized that looking at the ranks of states each year does not accurately portray corruption. Instead, Saab suggests looking at the scores assigned to a country over the last several years and taking note of the country’s regional and international standing.

Of the 180 states included in the 2008 CPI, Denmark is as the least corrupt. Somalia is ranked the most corrupt. Of the Middle East, Qatar is ranked the least corrupt.

The CPI has reported on Lebanon for six years. This year, Lebanon received the same score it did in 2003 and 2007 at 3.0/10. The 2008 score as an improvement from Lebanon’s score of 2.7/10 in 2004. However, Lebanon scored slightly better in 2005 and 2006 at 3.1/10 and 3.6/10, respectively.

According to Saab, it is most concerning that Lebanon scored lower than the international average (4.0), as well as lower than the Arab Region average (3.49).

Lebanon’s score is a result of the country’s continuing political crisis over the past two years. It is also believed that the absence of legal mechanisms in Lebanon has affected its score. 

According to Saab, the CPI results indicate the necessity of serious efforts and urgent actions to help promote political stability in Lebanon. Saab believes a permanent solution needs to take place to re-shape the relationship between citizens and the state. Saab emphasized that cooperation among the different parties will strengthen good government, maintain the well-being of society, and promote the right of access to information.

For more information, please see:

The Daily Star - Lebanese Transparency Association Relays Parts of Corruption Study by Parent Organization – 25 September 2008

TerraNet - Lebanon Ranked 102nd Out of 180 Countries on Annual Corruption Scale – 24 September 2008 

Zawya - Lebanon Ranks 102nd Out of 180 Countries on Annual Corruption Scale – 24 September 2008 

Lebanon Support - LTA: Press Conference to Release the 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) – 22 September 2008

HRW Calls for Saudi Arabia to End Religious Discrimination

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NEW YORK, New York - Human Rights Watch released a report on Monday, September 22, calling for Saudi Arabia to end discrimination against Ismailis, a religious minority.  The report, "The Ismailis of Najran: Second-Class Saudi Citizens," describes the systematic discrimination that has been implemented by the Saudi government.  It also details discriminatory policies and recommends changes to increase equality. 

The Ismailis are a sub-group within Shia Islam who live primarily in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia.  The majority of the population follows Wahhabism, a sub-group within Sunni Islam.  Several Sunni religious officials have made statements against the Ismaili faith which HRW has classified as equivalent to hate-speech.

According to the report, the Saudi government has increased policies that treat Ismaili followers as second-class citizens, especially with regard to employment, education and the justice system. It outlines instances where Ismailis have been dismissed from employment positions, have been arrested, and some tortured due to their religious practices. For instance, a man's marriage was annulled by the government in 2006 because he was Ismaili and his wife was Sunni.  The court reasoned that the marriage was invalid because the man did not have sufficient religious qualifications.

Although there were complaints of religious discrimination before, following Prince Mish’al bin Sa’ud becoming governor of Najran in 1996 there were reports of increased tensions between religious groups in the region.  Specifically, the report details an incident in 2000 when Saudi officials refused to allow entrance into Ismaili mosques on Eid Al-Fitr, an important religious holiday.  The Minister of Interior required guards be placed outside Ismaili mosques and that anyone trying to enter be arrested.

The report also narrates the incidents known as the Holiday Inn Events.  In 2000, an Ismaili sheikh was arrested and accused of 'sorcery.'  At a student protest responding to the arrest, gunfire and fighting broke out.  There were varying accounts of injuries but no fatalities.  When Ismaili leaders went to the Holiday Inn and requested to meet with the governor, who was staying there, a unit of armed personnel arrived at the scene and fired into the crowd.

The report makes recommendations for the Saudi government to change their policies.  These include an investigation, to be made public, regarding the Holiday Inn Events.  HRW also asks that Saudi Arabia take affirmative steps to ensure that Ismaili citizens are not discriminated against.  These steps include rebutting negative statements against Ismailis and passing legislation that protects Ismaili interests in constructing religious buildings.   

HRW released the report only two months after King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia hosted an interfaith conference with leaders in Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.  HRW Middle East Director, Joe Stork commented that this report shows Saudi Arabia needs to practice what it preaches within its own borders.

For more information, please see:

Financial Times - Saudi Arabia Urged to End Discrimination - 23 September 2008

The Guardian - Discrimination Against Muslims in Saudi Arabia - 22 September 2008

Human Rights Watch -  The Ismailis of Najran: Second-Class Saudi Citizens - 22 September 2008

Human Rights Watch - Saudi Arabia: Shia Minority Treated as Second-Class Citizens - 22 September 2008

Khaleej Times - Human Rights Group Reports on Saudi Discrimination - 22 September 2008

PA Forces Raid Hamas Office in West Bank

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

HEBRON, West Bank – On September 22, security forces from the Palestinian Authority (PA) raided the Hebron offices of Samira al-Halayka, a legislator from Hamas's Change and Reform bloc.  According to al-Halayka, computers and documents were confiscated by the PA.  A security official in Hebron stated that the officers confiscated leaflets and other documents that he said incited violence against the Palestinian Authority.  In addition, al-Halayka’s guard was detained, but then later released.

This raid was conducted as part of a larger crack-down against Hamas in the West Bank.  Over the weekend, PA security officers, loyal to Fatah and President Abbas, arrested fifteen members of Hamas.  Hamas also claims that the PA shut down four organizations, which were purely charitable.  Earlier in the month, on September 11, Hamas reported that PA security forces arrested 11 of its members and supporters.

Tensions between Hamas and Fatah remain high following the Hamas takeover of Gaza in summer 2007.  In addition to violent confrontations, this tension has resulted in politically-motivated arrests against each others members.  Politically-motivated arrests are such an issue of contention that the two sides agreed to form a national committee aimed at ending the practice.

The heightened tension between the two factions has led to rumors of a Palestinian civil war.  Last week, ten Palestinian West Bank security chiefs met in Beit El with Israeli military and police officers.  Fatah officers openly called for “joint action with Israel against the common enemy – Hamas,” and expressed their “willingness to take care of the Hamas mosques and institutions using information provided by Israel.”

In addition, Hamas leaders, including former Interior Minister, Said Siam, stated that following January 9, 2009, Abbas will not be the legal Palestinian President.  Following the January 2005 presidential elections, which Hamas boycotted, the basic law was amended so that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in the same year.  However, Hamas argues that following the January 2006 parliamentary election, it annulled this part of the law.

“There is nothing in the Palestinian constitution saying that the president has the right to extend his presidential term for an extra year. According to the constitution, the presidential term is four years only,” said Siam.

For more information, please see:
Ha’aretz – PA Security Forces Raid West Bank Office of Hamas Legislator – 22 September 2008

International Middle East Media Center – P.A. Forces Arrest Five Hamas Member in the West Bank – 22 September 2008

Reuters – Palestinian Authority Raids Hamas West Bank Office – 22 September 2008

Xinhua – Hamas Official: Abbas not to be Legal President After Jan. 9 – 22 September 2008

Yedioth – Palestinians Headed to Civil War – 22 September 2008

Xinhua – Pro-Abbas Forces Arrest 11 Hamas Members in West Bank – 11 September 2008

Turkey: New Wave of Detentions in Ergenekon Investigation

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ISTANBUL, Turkey - On September 18, a Turkish court ordered the arrest of six people in connection with the controversial Ergenekon investigation.  On Sunday, four members of Ergenekon were released from custody.  However, alleged members of the organization remain in Turkish military prison.

The Ergenekon organization was formed in the 1990s in order to combat what they considered to be the potential erosion of Turkish sovereignty, in light of Turkey's growing ties to the European Union, and to combat the threat that they considered the ruling AKP party posed to secularism.  The AKP party has a pro-Islamist platform and considers the hard-line secularist Ergenekon organization to be the main obstacle in their hopes of reforming secular Turkish society. 

The Ergenekon investigation began in June 2007 after Turkish authorities discovered grenades in a house in the Umraniye district of Istanbul.  According to Turkish authorities, the purpose of the alleged crackdown on Ergenekon is to prevent a possible military coup from overthrowing the ruling AKP government.  Over 100 people, including Turkish politicians, journalists, intellectuals, actors and retired generals, suspected of being members of Ergenekon have been detained by Turkish authorities in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Reports are circulating alleging that the Ergenekon investigation is a farce, with the primary goal of implicating as many hard-line secularists as possible, limiting the threat to AKP.  Each wave of arrests and detentions have coincided with a domestic news cycle that was damaging to the AKP.  In addition, unsubstantiated reports have linked the Ergenekon to numerous terrorists attacks that were carried out in Turkey over the past 15 years.

The detainees have been charged with multiple counts including "forming an armed terrorist organization, being a member of a terrorist organization, and aiding the organization."  The 2,455 page Ergenekon indictment, filed in Istanbul's 13th Serious Crimes Court on July 25, allegedly contains a mixture of fact, rumor, speculation and misinformation.  47 individuals named in the indictment continue to be held in Turkish prisons.

For more information, please see:

Bianet - One of the Ergenekon Generals Released, Eleven New Arrests - 23 September 2008

Hot News Turkey - 5 Army Members Arrested, Ret. Gen. Freed in Turkey's Ergenekon Probe - 23 September 2008

Hot News Turkey - Turkish Court Arrests 6 in Ergenekon Investigation - 22 September 2008

Eurasian Daily Monitor - Fact, Fantasy, and Farce As More Are Detained in Ergenekon Probe - 22 September 2008